Mayor's Office of Consumer Information (MOCI)

The Mayorâs Office of Consumer Information (âMOCIâ) is a Local Consumer Program funded by and working in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General to help consumers resolve complaints who otherwise have to seek legal recourse through the court system. It serves residents of the City of Springfield and its surrounding cities and towns throughout Hampden County, and parts of Worcester County communities. The MOCI cannot guarantee the outcome of a complaint but ensures that it will, with the cooperation of both parties, aim to effectively mediate the complaint in hopes of reaching an amicable resolution.

Since 2000 MOCI has handled tens of thousands of complaints, recovered over $10 million dollars for consumers in the form of a refund or credit, and held hundreds of community outreach events.

The goal of the MOCI is to empower consumers with knowledge of their rights and to educate them on ways to protect themselves from becoming a victim of a scam, fraud or identity theft. After all, our motto is "Education is the Best Prevention."

Its consumer services are provided throughout Hampden County and the following communities of Worcester County: Brookfield, Charlton, Dudley, East Brookfield, Holden, North Brookfield, Paxton, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Warren, West Brookfield and Worcester.

The MOCI provides education, referral and informal mediation services at no cost to consumers. Mediation provides consumers and businesses the opportunity to address and resolve disputes, although no legal advice or services are provided. Spanish-speaking staff is available. Walk-ins are welcomed from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The MOCI staff will educate consumers on their rights in many consumer-related areas and has an array of brochures readily available. Following are some of the areas the MOCI can assist with:

To speak to a consumer advocate to learn of your consumer rights, seek advice on how to resolve your dispute or to request mediation, call (413) 787-6437.

In addition, the MOCI provides consumer-related educational outreach to Hampden County area schools and colleges, senior centers and civic agencies, free of charge. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, Identity Theft, Credit, Buying a Car and Home Improvement. To request a speaker, download the speaker request form.

Forms for Download

If you wish to speak with a mediator about filing a consumer complaint, you may reach us at (413) 787-6437 Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm. To file your e-complaint directly with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, click here: AGO Complaint Form

Did you know that you are entitled to a free annual copy of your three credit reports, with no strings attached? When requesting them, be sure not to use a public computer or WiFi and allow at least 20 minutes for the process. Securely request your free credit reports from Annual Credit Report.

Are you feeling overwhelmed with pre-approved credit card offers in your mailbox? Did you know that they put you at risk of identity theft? To stop receiving pre-approved credit card offers, click here: Opt-Out of pre-approved credit card offers

Before doing business with a merchant, you may want to first check its ratings and complaint history with the Better Business Bureau

Elder scams and financial exploitation are on the rise. The U.S. Department of Justice launched a website, Elder Justice to help protect seniors.

Director of the Mayor's Office of Consumer Information

Milagros S. Johnson

The Con$umer Toolbox

We're excited to introduce you to The Con$umer Toolbox, our new television program aimed at providing consumers with the necessary tools to make informed decisions. The (monthly) program, which is getting excellent reviews, is currently running on Public Access Television in Ludlow, Chicopee and Agawam, West Springfield. For Springfield residents, Focus Springfield Community TV is airing it on Channel 12 every Thursday at 11am and 7pm.

If you have a topic of interest you would like to hear about, or wish to be a guest on The Con$umer Toolbox (no business advertisements or promotions), please drop us an email at moci@springfieldcityhall.com.

You can now watch previous episodes of The Con$umer Toolbox on our YouTube channel. We hope you watch and get empowered.

2015 National Consumer Protection Week

March 1 -7, 2015 is National Consumer Protection Week and we will be promoting consumer education at the following locations:

Western New England University, St. Germain Building, on Monday, March 2 from 1-4pm

Springfield City Hall Atrium, Tuesday, March 3 from 9am-1pm. We will be joined by representatives of the Western Massachusetts Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office. At 11:00 a.m. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno will also join us and make a special announcement. Please mark your calendars and stop by to meet us and to pick up free brochures, or ask a question about your consumer rights.

In celebration of the event, the Franklin/Hampshire County and Berkshire County Local Consumer Programs were my guests on The Con$umer Toolbox. You can watch the video on our YouTube channel.

In the meantime, please visit ncpw.gov for more consumer information and education.

Tax Identity Theft Continues to be a Problem

If you haven't gotten your hands on the most recent edition of The Springfield Star, a publication of the City of Springfield Department of Elder Affairs, you can read it online. You can find our consumer column on Tax Identity Theft on page 4.

We are now serving parts of the Worcester County community

We are pleased to announce that as of July 1, 2014, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office funded our office to serve parts of the Worcester County area. The cities and towns we will be covering during Fiscal Year 2015 are: Brookfield, Charlton, Dudley, East Brookfield, Holden, North Brookfield, Paxton, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Warren, West Brookfield and Worcester.

As a Local Consumer Program with a history of commitment to its Hampden County consumers we will strive to do the same for our Worcester County consumers.

Question of the Month

Q: Every day there's some sort of car manufacturer recall. I'm in the market for a used car and am worried about buying a car that is unsafe to drive. Do you have any suggestions?

A: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has an excellent website with many tools to help you make an informed decision before you purchase your next vehicle. To check for unrepaired recalls on a specific vehicle (Note: You will need the vehicle's VIN), click here. For complaints, service bulletins and NHTSA investigations on a particular year, make and model, click here. Have the vehicle checked by your mechanic for any other existing defects, severe corrosion, or damage from a prior major accident.

Consumer Tip

Identity Theft: Another way to avoid it from happening to you!

Identity Theft can target anyone at any time. Did you know that you can now freeze your credit report? The only downside is not being able to obtain "instant" credit/loan if you need it (you must first "unfreeze" your reports). Freeze your credit report.

Hampden & Worcester County consumer outreach

We continue to receive requests for outreach events thoughout Hampden County and parts of the Worcester community. If your school (high school or college) or organization is interested in getting empowered on a consumer topic (such as Scams & Fraud, Identity Theft, Credit, Buying a Car) complete the Speaker Request Form or contact us via email: moci@springfieldcityhall.com. We're ready to serve you FREE of charge.